We don’t dictate what type of healthy diet people should eat at UpFit Training Academy in New York, NY. What we do is help our clients create a healthy diet for their personal taste and needs. One question often asked is whether people should become vegetarians. People often ask this because they want to lose weight faster and believe vegetarians lose weight easier. No matter what your preference for food or special needs, you can lose weight with healthy eating, no matter what you choose. To address the question, let’s first look at what a vegetarian is and is not.
A vegetarian isn’t a vegan.
Vegans have far more dietary restrictions than vegetarians. They don’t eat any animal products, including diary or eggs. The diet of a vegetarian is primarily plant based, so most of their protein comes from dishes like beans and rice. Vegetarians, unlike vegans, often include animal products in their meals, such as milk, milk products and eggs. They simply eliminate animal flesh from their diet. It’s easier to get all the necessary nutrients that way.
It’s not all salads and veggies with dip for vegetarians.
If you’re vegetarian and eat four or five candy bars a day or munch on donuts, chips and soft drinks, you’ll not lose weight. While most healthy vegetarian foods are low calorie, there’s still unhealthy vegetarian junk food that packs on the pounds. There’s even a new section specifically labeled vegetarian snacks that can pack on the pounds. They even have highly processed fake meat that are often more unhealthy than the real processed meat. The impossible burger has a much higher sodium content than real burgers.
Weight loss isn’t about a label, but how healthy your choices are.
No matter what type of food choices you make, such as omnivorian, vegetarian, vegan or pescatarian, weight loss occurs based on what you consume in that category. Sugar comes from plants and consuming a lot of it certainly won’t help you shed those extra pounds. While studies show vegans and vegetarians tend to be thinner, it’s all about the type of food you eat within that category. You need a diet that’s designed for healthier eating.
- A well-balanced diet, no matter what it is, vegetarian, omnivorian, etc., all have health benefits. It increases the potential for weight loss, reduces inflammation, blood pressure, balances blood sugar and blood cholesterol.
- Nuts are a good source of healthy fat and protein, but if you eat tons of sugar coated nuts every day, you simply won’t shed those extra pounds, since it’s a high calorie option. Cut out the sugar and use nuts sparingly, in salads or eat a handful, not a pound, as a snack.
- One benefit vegetarians tend to have is that most vegetables are loaded with fiber. Fiber fills you up and keeps you full longer. Foods with healthy fat, like avocados, and those with protein, like beans, also do the same, so you eat less.
- We can help you with a diet designed for your needs. It’s one that provides food you enjoy that’s also nutritious. It will keep you feeling full longer, but will help you lose weight.
For more information, contact us today at UpFit Training Academy
